Improvement in toll-takers for grist-mills



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r Tollf-Takers for erikst-wlills.r l\1.o.156.,317.` Patented (Mmmm.

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JOHN F. sTRATToN, or wrNoNA, oHIof' IMPROVEMENT IN TOLL-TAKERS FORV GRIST-MILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,317, dated October 27, 1874 application filed october 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN F. STRATTON, of Winona, in the county of Columbiana, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toll-Taking Device for Grist-Mills, whereof the following is a descripy tion, reference being had to the accompanying i vice for taking toll for grinding grain, the construction and operation whereof are as follows:

In the drawings, A represents a box or case, which may be of the shape shown, or a mpdification of .the same. B is a shaft passing transversely through the case, and having its bearings in the sides thereof. To the outer end of the shaft is secured a slotted arm, G, to which is connected a crank-wheel, D, by a pitman, E, as shown in Fig. 1. To the middle of the shaft B is secured in a rigid manner a tubular arm, F, Fig. l. A section ofthe side of the box is represented as broken away, so that the arm may be seen. The bore or passage-way of the arm extends through fthe shaft, as shown in Fig. 2, and terminates in a chute, G, opening to the outside of the box vat a. In the chute is fitted a valve, H, Figs. 2 and 15, whereby its communication with the outside may be shut off. Said valve is manipulated by the knob I.

The practical operation of the above-described toll-taker is as follows: The apparatus may be situated at any convenient point between the smut-mill and the hopper, and so connected to the conductor whereby the grain is conveyed from the smut-mill to the hopper that the grain must pass through it. Before the grain' is allowed to descend below the tolltaker the tubular arm F is made to vibrate, as indicated by the dotted lines a', by means of the crank-Wheel and pitman above referred As the arm vibrates across the conductor J, down which the grain is supposed to be flowing to the stones, a certain amount thereof will pass into the open end of the arm at each vibration, whereas the mass of grain will pass along down the box, outside of the vibrating arm, on its way to the stones. By the time that all the grain to be ground, be it more or less, has run through the toll-takerit will be found that so much thereof as will be proper for toll will have been caught in the vibrating arm, down which it has run into the chute G; thence to the outside through the opening a.

During the ordinary run of the mill, the vibrations of the arm will be about sixty per minute. By careful calculation and experiment it is found that during this number of vibrations sufficient grain has been taken from the grist by the time it has all run through to pay the toll for grinding.

The percentage of grain taken for toll is, more or less, according to the kind of grain. The toll-taker can be adjusted to 4meet this variation in the percentage by causing the vi brations of the tubular arm to be more or less in length. This is done by shifting the connections of the pitman with arm G nearer to or farther from the axial line of vibration.

Thenearer the connection is made tothe axy ial line the longer will be the arc of vibration, and consequently the percentage of time that the tubular arm takes in going through anypart of that are or through the falling grain will be less than when the connection is farther from the axial line. Hence, it will be obvious that the amount of grain that will be caught in the tubular arm will be in proportion to the percentage of timeit is under the falling grain-that is'to say, the nearer the connection of the pitman with the arm C is' made to the axial line of vibration the less will be the percentage of toll taken from the falling grain, and vice versa. In this simple and easy Way the toll-taker can be readily adjusted to abstract from the grist the exact amount of grain for toll, and when once adjusted for any one particular kind of grain, the proper amount for toll will be abstracted from the grist, whether the vibrations of the tubular arm be more or less per minute, provided no change is made in the number of revolutions of the crank-Wheel further than that dependent upon the speed of the mill.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The tubular Vibratory arm F, as arranged in relation to and in combination with the box or case A, conductor J, and chute Gr, when operated in the manner as described, and for 'the purpose set forth.

2. The tubular vibratory arm F, shaft B, slotted arm C, pitman E, and crank-wheely D, in combination with the box or oase A and chute G, substantially in the manner as described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN F. STRATTON. Witnesses:

J. H. BURRIDGE, A. F. CORNELL. 

